Sausage and Cheese Calzone

Pizza dough
1 pound sweet Italian sausages, skins removed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
10 ounces mozzarella cheese, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes

Prepare pizza dough.

In a skillet, cook the sausage and onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring to break up the meat.

Add bell pepper and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring often, or until the sausage is cooked through and vegetables are soft.

Remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.
Stir in the mozzarella, parsley and red pepper flakes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Brush 2 baking sheets with olive oil or spray with olive oil cooking spray.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces.
Take one piece of the dough and with floured hands press it into a 6-inch round.
Stretch or roll it out with a rolling pin into a 12-inch circle.
Leaving a 1/2-inch edge, spread a quarter of the filling over half of the dough. Dampen the edges with water.
Fold the dough in half to enclose the filling; seal the edges with a fork.
Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
With a large spatula, carefully transfer the calzones to the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp on the outside.

Serve warm.

Bistecche dei Poveri (Poor Man’s Steaks)

In Sicily bistecche like these are served as an antipasto, a contorno, or, when a charcoal fire is going, as one of many dishes in a mixed grill.

3 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds)
Salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons oregano
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint

Start outdoor grill.
Cut the eggplants into lengthwise slices about 1/4-inch thick.
Throw away the outermost, curved slice, which is mostly skin.
Salt eggplant and let stand.

While the eggplants are standing, mix the olive oil with the oregano and chopped mint leaves.

When the fire is ready, take as many slices as will fit on your grill, brush them on one side only with the flavored oil, and put them on to brown oiled-side down.
While they are grilling, brush their top sides with more oil.
When done on both sides, remove to a serving platter, brushing with just a bit more oil, and keep warm until all the slices are cooked.

Serve hot.

Serves 6.

Bean Soup with Pasta (Pasta e Fagioli)

5 cups water
8 ounces dried great northern or navy beans (1 1/4 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped or 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 medium stalks celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 pound salt pork, chopped
2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup uncooked macaroni (shells, bows or elbow macaroni)
Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat water and beans to boiling in Dutch oven; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour.
Add onion, tomato, celery, garlic, salt pork, bouillon, salt and pepper to beans.
Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 2 hours.
Do not boil beans as they will burst.
Skim fat if necessary.

Stir macaroni into soup.
Cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Sprinkle with cheese.

Yields 5 servings.